It is evident the cryptocurrency markets are going through a brief period of recovery as of right now. With most markets showing some positive momentum out of the blue, things are looking good as of right now. The Stellar price is one of the biggest gainers over the past 24 hours, pushing the value back to over $ 0.22. A positive turn of events, assuming this momentum doesn’t vaporize in the next few hours. Read more...

Bitcoin development took a major step forward this week when Lightning Labs announced the first beta release of the much anticipated “Lightning” protocol for Bitcoin, while also raising $ 2.5 million to fund continued development.

Meanwhile, cryptocurrency and ICO regulation stories have continued to dominate the headlines, as the U.S. Federal Government held hearings and the Dutch finance minister released a letter relating to how their respective legislators should approach cryptocurrencies and ICOs. On a positive note, a New York state assemblyman has introduced a bill to protect cryptocurrency investors and ease regulation on crypto-related businesses.Read more...

The cryptocurrency markets are eagerly demonstrating how truly volatile they are. However, their volatility provides unique opportunities to find undervalued coins with major events in the next two weeks. The 5 Altcoins To Beat BTC Returns this Week are SNOV, ZER, MTH, ETH & MTL.

Altcoins to Focus On This Week: SNOV, ZER, ETH, MTH, and MTL

This week’s altcoins worth shifting immediate focus to all have very exciting upcoming events. The market correction the last week allows for these coins to be attained at a huge discount from their all-time highs. This week’s coins requiring immediate attention include SNOV (Snovio), ZER (Zerocoin), ETH (Ethereum), MTH (Monetha), and MTL (Metal). Read more...

Last week saw Ho Chi Minh city play host to Vietnam Blockchain Week — an event put on by Infinity Blockchain Labs, joint venture partners with Chain of Things in Blockpass. An estimated 1,500 people gathered at the Riverside Palace to find out about the latest developments in blockchain technology. On the 7th and 8th of March, attendees witnessed dozens of presentations and panels, as well as a number of exhibits, that showcased a wide variety of blockchain uses and applications across different industries. Read more...

It would be an unusual week in bitcoin where there weren’t glum tidings to report, be it an exchange hack, regulatory clampdown, or edict from the east. It just so happens that this week witnessed all three – and on the same day, no less. You could call it bad luck, or you could call the event, which sent bitcoin below $ 9,000, where it’s flirted ever since, a black swan: a random occurrence that is impossible to predict.

While Japan has been cracking down more on cryptocurrency exchanges recently, we see the state of Wyoming opening things up to make the state more attractive to the technology. At the same time, the SEC defined ICOs as money transmitters and crypto exchanges as money exchange businesses. It is rapidly becoming easier to run afoul of these quickly changing clarifications and find yourself in hot water.

On the lighter side, words such as “cryptocurrency,” “blockchain” and “ICO” are joining “Bitcoin” in the dictionary as officially recognized and defined words.

Over the past few months, it seems like everyone has been chatting about cryptocurrency. Some believe that cryptocurrency is the next big thing, while others suggest that it might be a risk in the near future. This week brought big news for cryptocurrency. Anyone, who wishes to trade in Bitcoins or Ethereum, should be well aware of the news and attempt to use that news to their advantage. So, what happened in the world of cryptocurrencies this week? You’ll find out below.

In the already exceptionally volatile cryptocurrency space, altcoins are considered an even higher risk; but with higher risk comes higher reward. Finding the specific altcoin with the highest chance of outpacing BTC’s gains should be a goal for most crypto traders.

Altcoins Worth Focusing On

The altcoins worth shifting immediate focus to for this week are Bitcoin Private (BTCP), Dragonchain (DRGN), Oyster (PRL), Metal (MTL), and Hirematch (HIRE). These cryptocurrencies have major events in the short term that will dramatically impact their price in a positive manner.

This past week marked a few important events. It began with the release of Bitcoin Core 0.16; marked the first instance of a sovereign nation announcing that it would use and accept a cryptocurrency as legal tender; and included the launch of a new accelerator from “China’s eBay,” JD.com, to assist companies that promise to have transformative technology in the blockchain space.

We also examined the appeal of cryptocurrencies to millennials and launched our cover story for the month of March covering the complicated role of patents in the Bitcoin industry and the new Bitcoin Defensive Patent License.Read more...

In the past week, news from Venezuela was at the forefront, where crypto mining is way up due to cheap electricity. But their stab at launching their own crypto, the Petro, is not looking like a great plan so far.

Good news in regulation, however, is coming from the state of Wyoming as the House unanimously passed two pro-blockchain bills, with five more in the pipe.

On the technological front, researches think they have solved a big part of the “sidechain” puzzle and have published a detailed paper called “Non-Interactive Proofs of Proof-of-Work.” Read more...